


Some Witchy Luck For Your Travels

by nebul4ma



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, F/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:43:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14551005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebul4ma/pseuds/nebul4ma
Summary: (early 1900's ish France) Marinette is a witch with little talent. She can't cast normal spells, has trouble with potions, and pretty much anything. And she's clumsy to boot. The only things she's good at is charms and bringing out the natural elements of things. Specifically flowers. So she opened a flower shop to at least hone what she can do.Meanwhile, a witch hunter by the code name Chat Noir has returned home to Paris after a lead he was following goes cold. His first night back, he runs into Marinette. His instincts scream witch, but he sensed something different about her. And he soon finds himself questioning everything he's ever been told.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New story incoming! I hope you guys enjoy it. There will be focus on the flower meanings, and I'll do my best to make sure the colors match up if describing a bouquet. There will be some violence, but probably not super graphic because I'm pretty squeamish myself.

"Thank you, sir, come again soon!" Marinette waved to the old man as he strolled happily away from her little shop. She sighed with a smile as he disappeared down the street with a bouquet of aster and heliotrope flowers.

 

She stepped back into her shop, and a small, ladybug colored creature floated up to her. "Did he like the flowers?"

 

Marinette nodded, grabbing her watering can. "He did, and the spell on them should ensure their love never fades, even after they pass into the after life. So lucky," she sighed, "to have someone to love, and to have that love be so strong it transcends lifetimes."

 

"So you sensed that? Your senses are getting sharper, Marinette," the little creature praised.

 

"I suppose you're right, Tikki. But it's still not very strong. Only pure emotions like that man's love for his wife are what I'm.able to detect," she replied as she filled the can to water some of the flowers.

 

See, Marinette was a witch. But... She wasn't very talented. She couldn't do complex spells, she was clumsy, she couldn't sense bad intent, she couldn't infuse potions with the magic they need to become potent, she couldn't fly, and her familiar was small. She loved Tikki, there was no doubt, but when she summoned her, her teacher basically said there was no hope in her becoming a powerful witch.

 

That day, she was heartbroken. And just like her luck, it began to pour. Her familiar hidden in her jacket, she slowly made her way through the rain back to her small apartment. Her shawl didn't do much against the cold or the rain. But her spirit was broken, so she didn't care.

 

As she walked, she came across a little flower stand. There was a little old woman working it and she called out to Marinette.

 

"My my, dearie. You look like you've had a case of some bad luck!" the old woman said, motioning her over. By now, the rain had pretty much stopped, but Marinette was still soaked to the bone.

 

The woman smiled at her when she came over, then turned to her flowers. She searched for a moment, muttering to herself. "Ah here it is!" she pulled out a beautiful white flower. To Marinette, is was literally glowing with power. "This here is a Myrtle flower. They carry good luck in their petals. At least that's how the stories go. Here dear, it's on the house. Use it to turn your luck around."

 

As Marinette's fingers closed around the flower, she felt the raw magic of it. Her teacher always said that manipulating the energy of natural things was the hardest thing to do, but Marinette got the feeling this was her calling.

 

She returned home that night and started to plan. If she had a talent for bringing out the essence of things like flowers, she could do so much good for people! Like luck or love or good health. Maybe she wasn't a failure after all!

 

That was two years ago.

 

Now, at 21, Marinette owned a small, but successful flower shop. She was open year round. People were a little curious about how she always had fresh flowers, but they never asked questions, since her help always helped them with their troubles.

 

Marinette's secret was a separate pocket realm that her friend Alya conjured up for her. Alya was another with that she met at the school she was pretty much kicked out of. Alya was a truth seer, but was able to do just about everything if she worked hard at it.

 

The pocket realm was a garden. All true flowers that grew there grew with magic. All she needed to grow them was a single flower of the kind she wanted to grow. For example, if she wanted to grow a white rose bush, she would just need a single white rose planted in the ground, and white rose bushes would sprout around it. And because they were magic flowers, they lasted longer.

 

Every once in a while, when someone needed some extra help, Marinette would make a charm for them, and hide it inside the weapons of the flower. She was good at making charms, as long as they weren't complicated.

 

She hummed softly as she thought about her start as a shop owner as she watered the last of her flowers. She looked at the clock on her wall and gasped.

 

"Oh no Tikki! I'm going to be late, I'm supposed to get those new flowers for the garden today at 3!" she put the watering can away. She slipped the apron off of her dark grey dress and grabbed her pink shall. Her simple boots clacked on the cobble stone streets as she ran after locking up the shop.

 

\----------

 

Adrien huffed as he walked down the street. It was a chilly spring afternoon. Winter had just ended, the snow was all gone but the temperature had yet to get up to spring standards.

 

It didn't matter though. Adrien wasn't very focused in the weather. He had just returned to Paris. And his trip away from the city was fruitless, much to his annoyance

 

Adrien was a witch hunter. At head quarters, he was known as Chat Noir. His job, it meant everything to him. He wanted to rid the world of the beings that took everything from him.

 

His father forced him into training when he was a young child. He fueled Adrien by claiming witches killed his mother. Adrien was very young when it happened. But he remembered finding his mother dead. His father had been just as devastated by her death, which was odd to Adrien since his father was not the emotional type.

 

After her death, his father introduced him to his work: Witch Hunting. A dangerous profession, but necessary according to his father. He trained for years until he was the best. Now he was on his own. He would get targets from head quarters, and he would track them down and kill them.

 

His last target had escaped him. He didn't know how she did it. He had her cornered, chased her into an alley. Then the next thing he knew, she was gone. Vanished into thin air. He had tried to track her down again, but she was just... Gone.

 

He was pissed, for sure. His perfect record was ruined, and that witch was still out in the world wreaking havoc on the common people.

 

He stomped through the street, not quite paying attention to where he was going until he felt himself collide with something, well, more like someone, as he rounded a corner. He heard a high pitched yelp, and looked down to see a girl, on the ground, clutching a packed of flowers. Her hair was the color of the night sky, skin pale like the moon, and her eyes the color of the sea. Quite a striking appearance, he couldn't help but stare.

 

She groaned, then checked the flowers, making sure they weren't crushed. He lowered a hand in front if her face, an offer to help her up. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after running into her.

 

"My apologies, miss. I... Wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going. You're not hurt, are you?" he asked as she took his hand. He felt the familiar shock of magic as her fingers touched his, and he had to fight to keep his expression from going dark. How could a witch be here? And how had he not detected her? Granted, the shock of magic he felt was pretty weak. She must not be very strong.

 

"I'm alright, thank you sir," she replied as he hoisted her up. She looked at his face and frowned for a moment, then offered a kind smile. "You look like you've been struck by some bad luck," she said.

 

Adrien was a bit taken aback by that remark. Bad luck huh? He definitely believed it. And it was evident know that she was a witch. Normal people wouldn't be able to perceive bad luck out of no where.

 

He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, a hesitant smile on his lips. "I suppose I have. You can tell?"

 

She hummed. "I have a bit of a knack for figuring out what's troubling people. Luckily for you, I have just the thing," she said, looking through her package of flowers until she found the right one.

 

"A few years ago, I was having quite a case of bad luck. And a kind old woman gave me this same flower. It's a Myrtle flower. It's like a good luck charm. That same kindness is what I've tried to pass along to as many people as I can. Here, maybe it'll help your luck turn back around," she explained, handing him the delicate flower.

 

Adrien reached for it and swore for a second he thought he saw it glow. As his fingers closed around it, he feltnits pure, natural energy flow into him. Strange.. He had never felt that when handling flowers before. But... He didn't hate the feeling.

 

He looked back to to see the girl already walking away. "Wait!" he called. She stopped and turned back to look at him.

 

"Thank you," he called a bit softer. "My name is Adrien. What's yours?"

 

She smiled. "My name is Marinette. It's nice to meet you!"

 

With that she hurried down the street, flowers clutched to her chest. Adrien stood there staring after her. She was definitely a witch. But there was no malice in her gaze. She seemed so pure. So innocent.

 

He held the flower close to his chest, closing his eyes for a moment. Her image came to mind immediately, and his eyes popped open. Why was he so hung up on her? Their interaction lasted only a moment. Yet he felt something between them connect.

 

It would be a shame to kill her. He didn't want to. That's not how he had been trained, to have such conflicting emotions. What if... What if he had been wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien does some digging, Marinette is warned, fate wants them together, but will it hold?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was a little shorter than my normal, so I figured I'd give you guys another chapter!

Something about that boy stuck in her head. 

 

Marinette returned home in the early evening. As soon as she was behind closed doors, her face flushed and she sat on the floor. Tikki flew out, concern on her little face.

 

"Are you OK? Your face is all red!" the little familiar asked.

 

"I don't know Tikki, my heart feels strange. He was so different than the boys I've taked to before. And I felt a weird shock when he helped me up."

 

"I don't know if you should keep thinking about him, Marinette. I sensed something really weird about him."

 

Marinette looked up. "What do you mean?"

 

Tikki hummed, floating around a bit in front of Marinette. "I can't say for sure. I just sensed a dangerous aura around him. You should be careful Marinette. Please."

 

Marinette smiled and held up a hand, which Tikki floated down to. "I will, Tikki. Besides, what are the odds of me seeing him again?"

 

\----------

 

Adrien walked into the small office building, dressed in all black with a black hat hiding his face. He walked right past the desks to the door in the back. He stepped inside.

 

At first glance, it just appeared to be an empty closet. On the light switch, one of the screws was actually a button. He pressed it, and soon he was heading downward.

 

The ride only lasted a moment, and when he stepped out, he was in a different office, with bustling people carting precious information from one place to another. Weapons were being tested in a room made of bullet proof glass, hunters were gathered, discussing cases with their partners, if they had a partner.

 

Adrien walked past all of them, to a you f man with tan skin in an office towards the back. The walls were lines with file cabinets. Each drawer was filed with information on living witches. And everyone had to go through Nino to get a new case. He decided who got what.

 

The boy looked up and grinned at the sight of Adrien. "My man, you're back! How'd that hunt in Germany go?"

 

Adrien sighed, taking his hat off and plopping down in a seat across from his friend. "A complete bust. I almost had her too! She just... Disappeared. Like into thin air."

 

"Weird. I don't think she had those kinds of powers either. Well, one lost, no big deal. She'll surface again at some point, and we'll get her then," Nino replied with a shrug.

 

"You know my father won't be too nappy about missing one," Adrien grumbled, crossing his arms.

 

"I guess, but you'll get more. No ones perfect, Adrien."

 

"You're right Nino. You always know just what to say. By the way, I was hoping you'd have some info on a witch."

 

Nino grinned and cracked his fingers. "Probably. What's the name?"

 

"Marinette," he said, almost as a sigh. He had to fight a smile as he thought about her. Such a sweet smile, a kind personality. So pure. It was hard to believe she was a witch.

 

"Oh her. Yeah, we just got some info in on her. Kind of a weakling, if you ask me," he said, pulling a brand new file out of a pile on his desk. "She runs a flower shop not far from here. She doesn't have much magic presence, so we hadn't detected her until now. All she seems to be able to do is amplify the natural energy of items and write charms."

 

Adrien let out a relieved breath. If she wasn't strong, she wouldn't be marked as a priority. There was a possibility that she could live a peaceful life. But he was curious...

 

"So if she's so weak, how did you find her all of a sudden?" 

 

Nino flipped the pages, humming slightly. "Looks like she's friends with a pretty powerful witch. Alya, is her name. She's been on our radar for a long time. The only time she's spotted is when she visits Marinette. Aside from then, we just can't find her."

 

Adrien sat back, thinking slightly. "Nino, can you do me a favor?"

 

"Anything, my man. I've got your back."

 

"Don't file Marinette's paperwork away. In fact, hide it. I've got a feeling something isn't quite right with this. All if this," he said quietly, gesturing to the whole office. "I need to figure this out. And I don't want that girl getting hurt."

 

Nino looked at him a little surprised. Adrien held his breath. He thought Nino would understand. He never liked the fact that they had to kill witches. He sees like he didn't believe they were as evil as Adrien's father made them out to be. After a moment Nino nodded, holding his hand out.

 

"I've got your back. Anything you need, you just let me know. But try to keep this all on the down low. If anyone asks why you aren't hunting, just tell them u asked you to do some recon."

 

Adrien grinned and shook his hand. "You're the best. I'll get back to you soon."

 

\----------

 

Marinette closed the door to her pocket realm in the way back of her shop. She had planted the new flowers, and picked a fresh set of red roses. They were the signature of her shop. She called them Ladybug roses, because of their rich color. It matched her shop name: Ladybug Bouquets.

 

A clever name inspired by Tikki.

 

She arranged some of the flowers into a vase for display and carried them towards the front. The bell at the door sounded, signalling someone walking in. Marinette couldn't see them over the abundance of roses in front of her face. "I'll be with you in just a second!" she called as she walked the roses to the window, setting them on the table as a display. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned to her customer.

 

"How can I assist-oh!" she stepped back, having turned around to find her customer very close. As she looked at him, she recognized the same man from the evening before.

 

"M-Mr.Adrien! I wasn't expecting to see you here," she stammered, folding her hands in front of her.

 

The tall blond smiled, a radiant smile that made her heart skip a beat. How could one boy be so attractive? "I was hoping to find you again. I really felt my luck turn around, just in the short time since you gave me that flower. I was hoping to request your services."

 

Marinette smiled, feeling a slight pang in her chest. Mostly, people came to her requesting flowers for dates or anniversaries. Anything to do with love, she had flowers and charms for. People didn't usually come for much else. So that meant Adrien probably had a date.

 

She resigned herself. She was just a simple flower shop owner. And this man looked like he came from money. Nice, fresh presses suit that seemed to glisten like it was brand new, designer scarf and coat, newly shined shoes, a glinting gold pocket watch. He either always dressed like this, or he was going in a date.

 

"Of course. I've got just about anything anyone could need. What were you getting flowers for?" she asked.

 

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, a bit flustered. "Well... There's a girl I've been wanting to get to know, so I figured I'd ask her to dinner. And flowers seemed like a nice gift to break the ice."

 

It's a good think Marinette was good at keeping a happy face. Otherwise she would surely be looking depressed.

 

"Hmm," she hummed, turning to her shelves, where vases of all colors of different flowers sat in vases. "if you're just getting to know her, love isn't the best way to go. Let start with... Ah, some morning glories, for affection. And... Let's see... Oh! Some blue salvias, since you've been thinking of her. And pair that with a few springs of white clover to help her start thinking of you. That should do it."

 

She took all the flowers to a vase, where she began to arrange them. This was when she was most focused. The way the flowers were arranged could help the magic flow better and be stronger. Her eyebrows drew together and her lips purses as her focus took over.

 

Adrien stared in admiration. This girl... This witch... Was quickly taking over his mind. How could witches be bad, when this girl was so... Good?

 

She finished with a satisfied him, and grabbed a lovely blue parchment like paper,  wrapping it carefully and tying it with a silver colored ribbon. As she tied the ribbon, her spell was complete, and the flowers glowed brightly for a moment. But only those with magic could see it. It was a beautiful sight, really, the natural magic of flowers.

 

She walked around the counter and handed the bouquet to a stunned looking Adrien. She chuckled softly. "Here you are, Mr.Adrien. I hope she loves them."

 

Adrien took the flowers, returning her smile. "I hope so, too. Well, wish me luck! I'm off to see her now."

 

Marinette walked him to the door, and waved as he made his way down the street. She went back I side and sighed. Well, she shouldn't be too sad. She hadn't really gotten to know him yet, not he her. But... She just couldn't stop thinking about him. She pulled a rag from her apron and started to wipe down the counter. Just as she did, she heard the bell ring again.

 

"Welcome, how can I h-" she began, freezing as she saw who came inside.

 

It was Adrien, with a sheepish smile on his face as he held the bouquet of flowers. She looked at the flowers and then at him. "Mr.Adrien? Is something wrong? Did you want a different bouquet?"

 

His smile fell and he shook his head. "oh, no no! Not at all! In fact it's perfect, it's just..." he flushed slightly and stepped over, holding the flowers out for her and clearing his throat. "Miss Marinette. I haven't stopped thinking of you since yesterday evening. I was hoping you would join me for dinner? It would be an honor to spend the night with you and get to know you better."

 

Marinette's mouth dropped open and she was quiet for a long time as she looked between him and the flowers. She stammered a bit, then she felt Tikki pinch her from the pocket of her apron.

 

"Y-yes. Yes, I would love to go to dinner with you," she replied, taking the flowers with a smile and flushed cheeks.

 

Adrien sighed and smiled. "How is tomorrow night? I could be here to pick you up around 7?"

 

"that would be lovely," she responded, trying to hold in her giddy laughter.

 

"Wonderful. Until tomorrow," he said, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. He left without another word, and Marinette had to sit down in her stool to keep herself from falling over.

 

Tikki flew out of her pocket, worry on her face. "Marinette..."

 

"I know Tikki, I know but... I haven't stopped thinking about him, and I feel like this is right! Like in my bones. You're always telling me to listen to my bones."

 

Tikki looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, I'll let you go to dinner. But please be careful. I still think there's something dangerous about him."

 

"You say that Tikki. But he's been so kind. What could possibly happen?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night doesnt go as planned. And neither does Alya's attempt at cheering Marinette up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! From now on I'll most likely be switching which fic I write for each day. So today is this one, tomorrow will be my other fic, as an example. If I get a rush of writing energy, I'll post a chapter for each, but just so you guys know what the plan will be!

For the first time, Marinette had a case full of flowers in her apartment above the shop that were from someone else. Being a flower shop owner, she always had flowers in her home, but they were always from herself. Sure, she made this bouquet, but it was still a gift.

 

She looked at them one last time before looking at herself in the mirror. She hoped wherever Adrien was taking her wasn't super fancy. She didn't have any clothes suited for a place like that. She sewed in her free time, but it was mostly day clothes.

 

When Alya came over after she closes the night before, she offered to bring something for her to wear from her own closet. But Alya had much more going to her in the chest and hip department than Marinette, and both their magic when it came to altering clothes to fit was severely lacking. So she settled on just something simple.

 

She picked a navy dress that was calf length, made of a nice, breathable material that wasn't too heavy. The sleeves cut off at her elbows, and there was a lovely white lace fold collar at the neck, as well as some white embroidery where the bodice met the skirts. She wore dark colored stockings and her normal everyday boots.

 

She debated bringing her white shawl with, and decided it would be a good idea. The nights were still a bit chilly, and they at least blocked out some of the wind.

 

Her hair, she had taken out of its regular twin pig tail style, and instead put it into a singular bun. It took her a little while to get it right  since it had been quite a long time since she actually styled her hair. She wants much of a jewelry person, so she left her neck, hair, and ears bare.

 

Marinette walked over to her mirror when she was finished, looking herself over for a few minutes, fixing up some little details, like a stray hair, a hanging thread, those sorts of things. She glanced at the clock. She still had ten minutes, but she figured she could wait down in the shop.

 

Walking downstairs, she lit a candle and set it on her work table while she sat on her stool. She didn't want to waste electricity by turning on all the lights. It was dark out already, but it wasn't like she was working on anything.

 

She sat and waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited.

 

After the cock hit half past 7, she assumed he was running late. When it hit 8 o'clock, she though maybe he had forgotten and was coming over now. At 8:30, she started to lose hope that he was coming.

 

At 9, she blew out the candle and trudged upstairs, the ironic scent of anemone flowers stung her nose as she disappeared up the stair well.

 

\----------

 

A friend didn't want to miss his date. He had fully planned to go. But his father called him in to speak with him right as he was about to leave.

 

He stepped into his father's office. An austentacious room, to say the least. Walls covered with the finest art, gold trim around the doors, a desk made out of some sort of rare wood whose name a friend didn't care to remember. And to top it off, his father wore only to best designer clothes, with the most expensive watches and rings. He could definitely afford it, being a witch hunter paid some serious cash in the right circles.

 

"You wanted to see me father?" he asked as he approached the massive desk. His father's chair was turned so that he wasn't facing his son, instead looking over a file that Adrien couldn't see.

 

"I hear you were unsuccessful in your last mission."

 

Adrien sighed, crossing her arms. "She just disappeared. I almost had her. Once she was gone, I lost all track of her. No where in the town, no wear around the down. It couldn't be helped."

 

His father hummed and spun around. "And the witch that's right here, under your nose? Did she just up and disappear as well?"

 

Adrien froze, green eyes meeting his father's. He should have known his father would find out, but this quickly... He cleared his throat. "I didn't lose her father. I've been trying to gather information. What we have says shes weak and doesn't have much power. I want to be sure of that so none of our hunters go and underestimate her."

 

His father stood abruptly. "I don't care if you think she's hiding some power, she was within your grasp and you let her go. What if she finds out about you? You will lose another hunt. That's creatures are a plague to this land. They killed tour mother and you toy around with them, let them escape multiple times?!"

 

Adrien flinched. It had been a while since he his father exploded like that. He was always so collected, if not a bit cold towards people. But he couldn't let his father push him around.

 

His fists curled. "Maybe we're wrong! Maybe not all witches are bad, father. This one... She's kind, there's no evil in her, father, I can tell! She doesn't need to die!"

 

His father moved so fast he didn't have time to react as the back if his hand came across his face. He felt his father's rings cut into his face.

 

"No son of mine will speak such blasphemy in my presence. The gorilla will escort you back to your apartment. See to it that you stay there until I say otherwise."

 

\----------

 

The first few days after Marinette had been stood up, she was angry. She was waiting for him to come through her doors so she could yell at him for ditching her. 

 

After a few more days, her anger faded and she was just upset. She tried her best to be happy around her customers, but even they noticed she wasn't quite her normal self. A few gave her back a flower from their bouquets as a gift, which she appreciated and created a separate case in her apartment for them all. 

 

Alya, noticing the moping, decided to take her out one night to a dance. It was hosted by some people Alya knew, so there was a guarantee there would be a few witches there. As much as Marinette wanted to stay home, she knew Alya wouldn't let her.

 

"Come on, girl, we're going to miss all the fun!" Alya called behind her as they ran through the streets to the pier where the party was being held.

 

"I'm running as fast as I can!" Marinette replied, sounding out of breath. She hoped she wouldn't be too tired to at least do some dancing.

 

As the pier appeared in their sight, Alya let them slow down to a walk, letting Marinette rest a little before they went into the fray.

 

The band was playing a happy, upbeat tune. String instruments, a few horns, a couple drums. It helped Marinette's mood lift a little to see the musicians have so much fun playing their craft.

 

Letting her watch the musicians for a bit, Alya eventually dragged Marinette to the dance floor, where the limes of people dancing in circles whooped and clapped along with the music. They joined quite seamlessly, and soon Marinette has forgotten what she was so upset about as the music took control and her feet moved across the floor.

 

It only felt like an hour had gone by when Marinette and Alya were finally leaving. The cool night air felt delightful against her sweaty skin. 

 

"Do you feel better now?" Alya asked as they walked leisurely through the dimly lit streets.

 

Marinette smiled. "Much better, thank you."

 

Alya grinned, and linked her arm with Marinette's. "You shouldn't get too hung up on boys. They're here one minute, and then gone the next."

 

"I know you're right," Marinette began. "But he... He was different. I felt a spark when we touched, Alya. A spark like that surely only happens once in a life time."

 

Alya sighed and nodded. "I know that all too well. It happened with me with a boy a few years ago. We saw each other often, and then he just disappeared. Which is why I tell you now, don't get too hung up on him."

 

Marinette looked at her friend, who had a sympathetic look on her face that masked a sadness of her own. Marinette smiled and gave her friends arm a squeeze. "You're street is coming up," she said.

 

Alya looked up and hummed in contemplation. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself? I can always walk you home, I don't mind."

 

She shook her head, patting Alya's hand as she slipped out of her hold. "you're job gets you up much earlier than mine does. I'll be fine. Besides, what could happen?" she said, waving to her friend as she continued up the street.

 

All the while, a figure clad in black was watching from the rooftops.

 

\----------

 

The walk home was farther than Marinette expected. And the dim lights on the street made it seem way more spooky. Even as a witch, she was creeper out by it.

 

A chill shook her small frame, and she pulled her shawl tighter around her. She was getting sick of these chilly spring nights. Tikki was asleep in her pocket, so she didn't have anyone to chat with. The only sound she heard were her own boots on the stone walkway.

 

She tripped a little, looking down to see her shoelace had come untied. She kneeled down to tie it. As she finished the knot, she heard the faint sound of fast approaching footsteps. She looked behind her, but saw nothing. She stood slowly, eyes searching the darkness, but she still saw nothing.

 

She turned back around and was promptly smacked in the face with something hard. She fell backwards, her head ringing with pain. She tasted the metallic tang of blood and lifted a hand to her face. From what it seemed, the hit either caused her nose to bleed, or he lip to bust open. Either way, it hurt and the strike left her dazed.

 

"My lucky night, it seems," a deep voice grumbled. "didn't even have to look that hard to find you, with."

 

Marinette's heat stopped, and it felt like her blood turned cold. She gazed up at the figure, terror in her eyes.

 

The figure laughed. "What a nice look. This is why I love my job. Say goodbye to the world, witch. You why be able to plague it anymore!" he pulled out a silver knife, holding it high above him.

 

He drove it towards her.

 

She screamed, eyes falling shut as she anticipated the pain of death.

 

Next thing she heard was metal hitting metal and the figure cursing. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

 

She peeked her eyes open to find another figure clad in black standing in front of her. This person held a long metal staff, wore leather from head to toe, including a pair of ears in his head and an extra long belt that made it look like a tail.

 

"Stopping you from killing," he answered her attackers question. With a push, he threw the other man off his balance, and with a swift hit with his staff, the man fell to the ground, unconscious. His knife bounced over to Marinette and she yelped,  scooting back a bit from it. Silver was the one thing a witch couldn't protect herself from. It disabled charms, broke curses, and if a witch was killed with silver, her souls would never see an afterlife. At least, that's what the stories said. True or not, she tried her best to avoid silver if she could.

 

The man who had saver her turned at the sound of her cry, worry on his fave that faded when he saw it was just because of the knife. He kicked it away and walked over kneeling in front of her. Without a word he reached forward and grabbed her chin, tilting her face gently one way, then the other. He sighed with what seemed like relieve and then stood, grabbing her hands without asking and hoisting her up with no effort.

 

"Your lip is busted," he said, matter of fact. "it should heal clean."

 

Marinette pulled her hands away and took a step back. Whoever this man was, he was strong and had the potential to be dangerous. "I... Thank you... I guess..." she stammered. Everything was rushing at her at once and the realization that she was almost killed just moments before. She covered her mouth with her hand, nausea washing over her as her eyes started to water

 

The man stepped closer. "You need to be careful. You never know where a witch hunter may be lying in wait," he chided, seemingly unaffected by how she was handling this.

 

She looked up at him, sniffling. "Well I didn't expect witch hunters to be after me!" she yelled, "who are you anyways? And why did you save me?"

 

The man smirked, and sweeped into a bow. "Chat Noir is the name. I guess you could say I'm your personal hero."

 

Marinette scoffed. "Please," she huffed. "I don't need a hero."

 

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow in disbelief, causing Marinette to flush. "OK, maybe this time I did. Anyways, aren't heroes supposed to be kind? And not lecture the people they're saving?"

 

"Normally, I'd say yes. But you're a special case. I don't normally run into witches, and if I do they can normally protect themselves. So what's with you, huh? Too scared to use your powers when someone's trying to, oh I don't know, kill you?"

 

His mocking tone was hitting her in all the wrong places. She was sensitive about her lack of power. And he seemed to know he was hitting close to home.

 

She held her chin up and walked past him, which seemed to catch him off guard, but he recovered quickly enough and fell into place just a step behind her. "No answer? I must be right then. So... Why didn't you try to fight back?" he asked. The question was innocent enough, but her patience with this strange masked man was wearing thin. She whirled around to face him, stopping him in his track.

 

"First off, I don't know you so don't follow me. Second, I am not an all powerful being. All witches have their strengths and weaknesses. I just don't happen to be very adept at defensive spells. And even if I was, I would use it to harm anyone. Witches aren't like that."

 

Her outburst seemed to shut him up, so she turned and started walking again. She heard his footsteps behind her again and she groaned. "I told you not to follow me."

 

"I'm making sure you get home safely, my lady."

 

"I'm not your lady, so don't call me that. And I don't want you knowing where I live."

 

"Oh I already know where you live. Perks of being your hero."

 

Marinette rolled her eyes and fell silent. She supposed it wouldn't hurt having an extra set of eyes watching her back the rest of the way home.

 

Luckily, they hadn't been too far away. And as soon as her ships sign was in sight, she turned to tell him to leave. Only he was already gone. She looked around, but didn't find any trace of him.

 

She shrugged and walked up to her door, unlocking it and stepping inside. As soon as the door lock clicked back into place, she fell to her knees and began to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is in the target list. But is Chat Noir really the hero he claims to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My biggest challenge is finding a show to watch that's good background noise that doesn't distract me. I have yet to find that perfect show...

Marinette was terrified, to say the least.

 

She basically barred herself into her apartment for the next few days. She had a sign on her shop door saying she was sick and that she would open up in a few days. Alya tried to visit her, but he didn't open the door. She hoped her friend would believe her when she said she was sick.

 

Tikki tried her best to calm Marinette down, and whole she did stop freaking out, she was still afraid. Someone had tried to kill her. And she couldn't do anything to protect herself.

 

The party was Saturday night. It was now Wednesday evening. And she still hadn't left her apartment. For anything. She sat by her window, gazing out over the street below. Not many people were still out and about. The sun was setting fast.

 

She stood and trudged over to the kitchen, filling a mug with yet another cup of coffee. That was pretty much all she had outbid her system the last few days. She was afraid to fall asleep. Despite Tikki's pleas, she stayed awake to the best of her ability. She couldn't eat, her stomach was in such a knot she didn't think anything would stay down.

 

Why was this happening to her? She downed the cup of coffee and poured another one, walking back to the living room and her spot on the bench by her window.

 

"You look ten times worse than the last time I saw you," an amused, teasing voice sounded from the window.

 

Marinette screamed and dropped her mug, the ceramic dish shattering as it hit the floor. Her eyes flew to the window to see chat noir lounging on the bench. A hand came up to her chest. She was too tired for this. Too tired to deal with him.

 

"Why are you here?" she grumbled, kneeling down and starting to collect the broken pieces of the mug.

 

"I came to check on you. And good thing I did," he replied, a bit of amusement was still in his voice, but when Marinette fell silent as she collected the broken pieces, he grew more serious.

 

"You're not OK," he stated, walking over to help her. He darted into the kitchen and grabbed a rag so soak up the spilled coffee and to help pick up the smaller pieces. He kneels across from her, occasionally glancing up.

 

Dark circles under her eyes, face a little gaunt like she hadn't been eating, jumping slightly at every small noise. It hit him hard to see the kind flower shop owner like this, terrified to a point that she couldn't even sleep.

 

"Now what gives you that impression?" she snapped, standing up. She staggered a little from exhaustion. She placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. Chat was standing next to her in an instant, concern etched in his face.

 

"Marinette, you need to sleep. And eat something. You're weak and exhausted, and you can't live on coffee," he said, taking the broken pieces of ceramic from her hands and setting it in a small, nearby table.

 

"You think I want to keep this up?! Everytime I close my eyes I see that... Man standing over me with a knife. And what's worse, I know he can't be the only one. I have who knows how many people coming after me and I can't defend myself or run away. I haven't even done anything and people want to kill me... I don't understand..."

 

Her voice trailed off into a broken sob and she dropped her head into her hands. Why was this happening to her? Why was she being tormented like this? What had she done wrong?"

 

These questions raced through Chat's mind as he watched her cry. Without a second thought, he pulled her into a tight hug. It was all he could think of. He was used to hurting people, not helping them. But he would be damned if he didn't help this girl.

 

They stayed like that until she stopped crying. Marinette didn't know when, but at some point, her hands had left her face and wrapped around Chat Noir's torso. Despite his thick, leather outfit, she could feel his warmth.

 

"if I stayed," he started. "would you try to get some sleep?"

 

Marinette pulled back slightly to look up at him, streaks of tears staining her cheeks. She met his eyes and held his gaze. Something about his bright green eyes seemed familiar, but her tired mind was making no connections at the moment.

 

"I can try," she replied, voice a little raw from crying. She hoped she be able to sleep with him nearby, at least a little.

 

Chat nodded and started to lead her towards the bedroom. It was a small apartment with only the basic living areas, so it wasn't hard to find. Before they walked into the room, Tikki flew in out of nowhere and got all up in Chat Noir's face, making him flinch back in initial surprise, but other than that, he wasn't fazed at the sight of the little familiar.

 

The little creature stared at him, deep into his eyes. Marinette might have been tired, but Tikki wasn't. She made the connection. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Chat, then to Marinette. When bet gaze returned to Chat, he shook his head, eyes pleading. She hesitated, looking to Marinette. She knew as well as he did that this would probably be the only way she could start getting over the events of the previous weekend. And she couldn't risk her friends health just to reveal who Chat really was.

 

Once Tikki got out of the way, Chat walked Marinette over to her bed. She climbed under the covers with a sigh. She hadn't actually laid down in her bed in a while. She closed her eyes, trying to let sleep take over, but her heart started to race, and panic set in as her mind turned to Saturday night. Her eyes popped open and she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

 

"I don't think this will work," she mumbled, looking over at Chat who was seated on the edge of her bed.

 

"You barely even tried," he replied, eyebrows furrowing slightly. He saw her shrug. He sighed and waved his hand. "OK, move over."

 

"W-what?" she stammered, being forced to move over as Chat moved to lay down on the bed. Despite Marinette's protests, he got comfortable next to her and pulled her against his chest.

 

"I know it's a little strange, but if it helps you sleep, I don't mind," he whispered, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks. Luckily it was dark in her room.

 

Marinette was silent at his words. She didn't think the teasing, mocking, masked man had such a caring side. It was... Kind of endearing.

 

Her head rested on his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat. She started silently counting along with it, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

 

\----------

 

Chat stayed with her until the sun rose the next morning. He had even fallen asleep for a little bit too. But his main priority was making sure she stayed asleep.

 

He couldn't stay all day. He had to get back to his own apartment before the gorilla came to check in him. He gently untangled himself from Marinette, and made his way to the kitchen. The least he could do before he left was make sure she ate something. He found some bread, cheese, ans eggs. Since he wasn't much of a cook, that would have to suffice. He found a pan and quickly whipped up a cheese omelet with a slice of toast. He returned to the room to find she was still asleep.

 

Smiling slightly, he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "Marinette, it's time to wake up. Hurry and get up before u eat the delicious food I made."

 

She freaked and rolled over, a hand slowly emerging from under the covers to rub her eyes. "Chat? You're still here?" she asked groggily.

 

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm still here. I told you I would stay while you slept," he replied, handing her the plate as she sat up. She took it and lifted up the piece of toast, eyeing it for a moment as she contemplated if she would be able to keep it down. The intense stare from Chat made her feel like she would have to, other wise he would leave her alone for it. She took a bite.

 

He waited until she had finished the toast and taken a few bites of the omelette before standing up.

 

"Well, that's my cue to leave," he said, walking to a nearby window.

 

"Wait," Marinette said, hopping out of bed. "Will you come back?"

 

Chat gave a cheeky grin. "Miss me already Princess?" he laughed at the pouting face she gave. "Don't worry. I'll be back. I just have to take care of a few things. I'll be back tonight."

 

He didn't wait for her to respond before opening the window and jumping. She stuck her head out after him so see he had used his staff to launch over the buildings. Already, he was quite far away.

 

She waited until he was completely out of sight to close the window. As she turned around, Tikki flew up and gave her a serious look.

 

"Marinette, we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinetten is back to running her flower shop, but is troubled by what her and Tikki talked about. What will happen when Chat returns, and this time he is, unknowingly, followed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how I said I would be doing on chapter every other day?? Yeah, don't listen to me. I've been spurred to just keep writing because of the nice comments I've been getting.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! (y'all might not be happy at the end of this chapter)

"I don't think you should let him in anymore," Tikki said as Marinette returned to eating her breakfast. For now, it seemed like her worries were gone.

 

"Well I didn't let him in this time. He got in on his own," Marinette said through a bite of omelette. He was technically a cat, she supposed. So he could figure out how to get in or out.

 

Tikki crossed her tiny arms and looked at her human friend. "Marinette, you know what I mean. He isn't who you think he is."

 

"Even so, he helped me. Twice now. Would someone who meant to hurt me, help like this?"

 

"You know the answer is yes," Tikki retorted. "humans have long since forgotten about witches and their magic. Sure, there are still a lot of you in the world, but you're discreet so the humans don't hunt you all down. But there are people who do still know about them."

 

Marinette had stopped eating, and was focused on Tikki now, confused as to what she was talking about.

 

"One of these people tried to kill you Marinette. Witch hunters. They're the only humans left that know about witches. And this Chat Noir, who I'm pretty sure is a certain someone, is probably a hunter too. How else would he know you're a witch? He hadn't seen any of your powers or me."

 

Marinette looked down at her plate. She hated to admit it... But Tikki was right. He must be a hunter. So then why was he helping her? Like Tikki implied, he was probably getting close to her to lower guard.

 

Then strike to wipe her off of this world for good.

 

"OK," she conceded. "I won't let him in again." Though she didn't know how well he'd take it. He said he'd be back that night, and Marinette would have to say no.

 

"You said you think you know who it is." she added, thinking back to Tikki's words.

 

"I think so. But if it is who I think it is, he needs to come clean and tell you himself."

 

\----------

 

Adrien's father had him on lock down in his apartment for almost two weeks. Since the night he was supposed to take Marinette out to dinner. Despite his father trying to force him into submission by cutting him off from everything, he refused to play the complacent son and started revising a way to escape and explore freely at night.

 

Luckily, he kept a spare suit in his apartment. A perfect disguise for roaming Paris at night.

 

It took him a couple days to figure out the gorilla's check in pattern. It was simple, but Adrien was so worried about Marinette that it took him longer to figure it out. After figuring out the check in pattern, he calculated how far it was to Marinette's shop and how much time he would need to leave to get back home in time for the morning check in.

 

The first couple of nights, he just watched Marinette's shop from the roof top across the street. The first few nights as he watched her clean and close up shop, she seemed a little down, but seemed to cheer up a little as the days went. He saw her friend, who he assumed was Alya, visit multiple times. He couldn't hear them, but it had sounded like she was trying to get her to go somewhere. Based on Alya's reaction after days of prodding and begging, Marinette finally said yes.

 

Adrien followed them through the streets that Saturday night, to the party on the pier. He thought it wasn't a good idea, especially since his father knew about her now and would be waiting for a moment to strike. He probably believed that Marinette had corrupted his son and that killing her was the only way to free his mind. Adrien rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. If anything, it was his own fault. He ran into her.

 

When he saw her get attacked, he didn't react right away out of shock. But he came to her rescue quickly enough. In order to hide his identity, he didn't act to most friendly. He felt bad, but it was also interesting to see her get upset.

 

He didn't know why he waited so long to go back to see her. Maybe it was because he was afraid the other witch hunter would rat him out to his father. He thought it best to keep a low profile until he thought it was safe. But when he went back to her apartment to check on her, he felt like he was too late. Luckily, though, he wasn't, and he was able to help her, even just a little bit.

 

Replaying all that happened as he sailed over the roof tops on his way back to Marinette's apartment made him sigh. Honestly, all of this was his fault. If he hadn't run into her that night, she would most likely still be safe, and not labeled as a need to kill target by his father. He just hoped he would be able to protect her if something happened.

 

He landed on the fire escape right outside her bedroom window. This time, he knocked and waited. He knew Marinette had just closed up shop, so all he had to do was keep waiting, and knocking occasionally until he saw her enter her room.

 

He grinned at her and waved, but she didn't smile back. In fact, she looked hesitant. She walked over slowly and opened the window, but didn't step aside to let him in. Adrien, well he was Chat right now, furrowed his eyebrows.

 

"What's the matter, princess? Cat got your tongue?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light and the Co fusion out if his voice.

 

She looked up at him. And the next words out if her mouth were what he dreaded her ever finding out. "Are you a witch hunter?"

 

Chat's stunned silence filled the air. He would wonder how she found out, but her familiar sitting on her shoulder with her arms crossed told him she was the one who figured it out. He sighed and closed his eyes.

 

"I was."

 

"You were? So you decided to just stop being a witch hunter? After how many of us? How many did you kill?" she questioned, voice breaking slightly.

 

If Char's cat ear clip one were real, they would be flat against his head in shame. "Too many," he said softly. He lowered his eyes. "Believe me, I thought witches were completely different than what they actually are. After meeting you I... There's no way witches can be evil if they're like you."

 

Marinette's mouth parted slightly, then shut again as she stared at the boy in front of her. She looked down at Tikki, who also seemed a bit surprised at his words.

 

"I... Despite that, she said, crossing her arms. I don't think it would be wise for you to keep coming here," she said hesitantly. The look in his face when she said that was heartbreaking.

 

"What? But... You could be in danger! After that first attack failed, they'll send more people after you. I know, it's happened before! Please, Marinette, you have to trust me!"

 

"How can I trust you when I don't know who you are?!" 

 

They both fell silent, tension filling the air between them. Marinette was right. But so was Chat. Marinette wouldn't be able to defend herself from attacks she didn't know we're coming, and Chat shouldn't expect her to trust him with her life.

 

Chat sighed and pressed a hand to his face. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he mumbled.

 

Marinette's eyebrows furrowed. What did that mean. A glint in the corner of her vision drew her eye. There was a loud bang, and then everything felt like it was happening in slow motion.

 

Chat perked up at the sound, moving to turn around.

 

Marinette caught sight of what it was, and she shoved Chat back.

 

He fell back into the fire escape, eyes wide as a silver bullet imbedded itself into the right side of Marinette's chest.

 

Her eyes went wide and she looked down at herself. Blood had already started to slowly seep down her chest as she collapsed to the floor.

 

The last thing she heard was chat screaming her name before the world went dark.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat seeks help from Nino to save Marinette, and an unexpected visitor arrives in the nick of time.

Adrien ran through the streets, an unconscious Marinette in his arms. He was able to use what she had in her apartment to staunch the bleeding for now, but the bullet was still imbedded in her chest.

 

"Don't die," he whispered, glancing down at her. "please don't. Oh, god, this is all my fault."

 

He wanted to run faster, to use his staff to fly over to roof tops and get to his destination quicker. But of he did that, Marinette might start to bleed again. He had to be careful.

 

Luckily, the place he was going was not too far away.

 

He reached an old house, big but well kept. He used his foot to bang on the door three times, then tree more times softly. He hears foot steps racing through the house before the door opened.

 

Nino stood in the door way, his initial smile when he knew Adrien was at the door vanished when he saw the girl in his arms. He stepped aside to let Adrien in.

 

"Upstairs, second door in the left. That's the guest room. Put her there while I get supplies," he directed, shutting the door and locking the four locks. He disappeared down another hallway while Adrien carried Marinette up the stairs.

 

He laid her on the bed gently. Only when he pulled away, did he realize his hands were shaking uncontrollably. He folded them together, kneeling next to the bed and waiting patiently for Nino to come in.

 

It wasn't long before he heard his friend running up the stairs. He entered the room and shooed Adrien away. Before he could protest, Nino cut him off. "I know you're worried, but I need space to work. I don't know the severity of the wound yet, or if I'll be able to get the bullet out. You can sit on the other side, if you want, but don't talk."

 

Adrien fell silent and nodded, moving to the opposite side of the bed and let Nino work. The wound wasn't as much in her chest, but more so right under her collar bone. That was... Better, he supposed, than it being in her chest where it could have hit a lung. Still, the bullet was silver. The poisonous metal could very well have done enough damage to kill her in the time it took him to get to Nino's.

 

"it's not that bad," Nino said, sensing Adrien's worries. "She'll live. The silver will make her sick for a while, but she'll heal just fine."

 

Adrien sighed with relief, closing his eyes for a moment. Nino took this opportunity to pull the bullet out of Marinette. Once it was out, he cleaned and dressed the wound quickly. Once Nino was done, Adrien took Marinette's hand, holding it tightly.

 

Nino smiled at them. He hadn't seen Adrien like this. Never. He must have fallen hard for the young witch the moment they ran into on each other. Fate sure was a fickle thing.

 

Suddenly, a loud bang shook the house. And foot steps sounded up the stairs. A girl appeared in the door way, with long, wavy, brown hair and glasses. She was panting softly, her eyes wide with worry until her eyes fell in Marinette, all bandaged up. She let out a shaky breath, a hand over her heart.

 

"I was wondering when you were going to show up," Nino said. Adrien looked between the two of them in confusion. He recognized the girl, she was the witch that was Marinette's friend. Why... Was Nino being so familiar with her?

 

"Took me longer than expected. There are hunters everywhere looking for those two," the girl said, stepping over to Marinette. Her hand hovered over Marinette's wound, glowing bring purple for a moment.

 

She sighed with relief, then looked at Adrien.

 

"I'm not that happy that you're involved in this," she said, looking at Adrien. "but if you weren't there, she might be dead now. So... Thank you..."

 

Adrien smiled slightly. "I'm guessing you're Alya?" he asked. That garnered a cheeky grin.

 

"The one and only," she said, then turned to Nino, who had been looking at her since she walked in. "the council is meeting soon to discuss what to do about the hunters. They want us there, all of us."

 

"What?" Adrien voiced. "but we're hunters. Your kind despise us. We've killed witches. Well... I have."

 

Alya looked at Nino again, who rubbed the back of his neck. 

 

"it's time you know the truth, Adrien."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

Nino sighed. "I'm not... Really a hunter. I have witch blood too, which I guess makes me a warlock. But I don't have any power aside from some minor future sight. But it's not enough to brand me. Because I'm more human than not, the council had me infiltrate your company. Partly as a spy. Partly to do the councils work using hunters."

 

Alya chimed in. "Witches have our own set of laws. No magic to harm others that have harmed anyone, no curses, no attempts to raise the dead. Anything that affects the flow of fate, time, or nature. Most witches follow the laws. But, as in any society, there are people who don't go with the flow. And because witches have magic and can harm a lot of people, the best way to deal with them is to put them to death."

 

Adriens head was spinning.this was a lot of information all at once. "But... Wait, then why did Marinette get mad when she found out I was a hunter?"

 

Alya smiled and looked down at her friend. "She doesn't approve of the law. She thinks there are other ways to go about dealing with the law breakers. She's too pure for her own good."

 

Adrien looked down at Marinette and sighed. "Then she probably won't ever forgive me. I've killed so many witches I've lost count. Even if they were law breakers..."

 

"Don't lose hope, she's a very forgiving person. Give her time " Alya replied. Nino came up and tapped her shoulder.

 

"She's going to wake up soon. We'll leave you two to talk. After all, she still needs to know who you are."

 

The two left and shut the door.

 

Not a moment later, Marinette stirred, and her blue eyes opened slowly to an unfamiliar ceiling.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is awake and Chat has a lot of explaining to do, and the group needs a better hiding place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *starts writing new chapter at the lovely time of 5:30 am* *doesnt post until like 2*
> 
> I'd get chapters pumped out way quicker if I didn't have work so early lol

Marinette's eyes popped open and there were a few things she realized as her mind caught up with her.

 

The first was that she was in quite a bit of pain. She remembered getting hit by a bullet, but after that she had no clue.

 

The second was that the ceiling she was staring at was unfamiliar. If she hadn't just woke up, she might be freaking out.

 

The third was that there was a very tight grip on her hand. She turned her head to see Chat Noir, staring holes into her as he waited for her to say the first word. He seemed to be holding back a lot.

 

"Chat? Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room. It definitely wasn't hers. This room was bigger than her bedroom, and not as decorated. But she supposed it Chat was here, she wasn't in danger.

 

"I brought you here after you got shot. It's my best friend's house. He fixed you up, got the bullet out just in time," he said, as softly as he could. He shifted slightly, so he was closer to her head. He still didn't let go of her hand.

 

"What happened? I remember us arguing, and then me pushing you out of the way. And then after getting shot, I blacked out."

 

"Well I'm assuming they were targeting you. The hunters, I mean," he began. "I don't think they recognized me from that distance, and figured since there was a stranger there that I'd be a witness. Better to take out both of us so no one can go to the police. I doubt they expected you to push me out of the way."

 

Marinette turned to look at him. "What's one less hunter? I'm sure whoever you work forncould find another," she responded, looking away again.

 

Chat sighed slightly. "Marinette... I know it's going to take you a long time to forgive everything I've done. But please know it was all done in ignorance. I didn't know witches were good. I... My mother. She was killed by a witch when I was young."

 

That made Marinette flinch slightly. Of course... That does explain his actions a little bit. She heard most hunters became hunters because they claimed a loved one was killed by a witch. She remained silent, so Chat continued.

 

"My father right away started training me to be a hunter. I hated it at first. My mother was such a loving woman, she hated fighting. I guess I took more after her. Over time I got better at it, became the best, and started killing. When I met you though, I knew I had to stop. And your friend Alya told me the truth. At least the truth about the witches we hunted."

 

Of course Alya would tell him. She liked to put as a favor for a favor. Chat Noir saved her best friend, she gives him information. Alya must have sensed he wasn't aligned with the hunters anymore. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said anything.

 

"How could I be the one to make you realize all this? You met me when a hunter was trying to kill me," she asked, looking at him.

 

Chat had just a hint of a smile at her question. "That wasn't when we first met."

 

Marinette raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

 

"We met on a chilly night. I had just gotten back into town, the sun was setting already so the streets were pretty dark. I ran into you, knocking you over. You seemed more concerned about the flowers the flowers you were carrying than about yourself. You could tell I wasn't having a good day, and you handed me a glowing flower before running off."

 

Marinette stared at him, eyes narrowed as she examined his face. She never did get a very good look at Chat. He always wore a mask, and it was always somewhat dim or dark out when he came to her. But as she looked at his eyes, she saw the same eyes of the man she met not long ago. The one who stood her up. Guess that didn't quite matter now.

 

What stuck with her was that he saw the flower glow when she gave it to him. "The glowing," she started. "Did you also see it when I gave you the bouquet?" she asked.

 

He tilted his head. "I did. Does that matter?"

 

Marinette nodded. "If you saw it glow, it must mean you have witch blood. Only those with magic in their veins can see subtle magic like that."

 

Adrien shook his head. "That's impossible. My father definitelynisnt magic, and my mother was killed by a witch. What kind of people kill their own kind?"

 

There was a knock on the door before Marinette could respond. Alya walked in, and Marinette saw it took all the girl's effort not to run over and jump in the bed to give her a hug. She walked over, carefully taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

 

"I'm glad you're OK," she said softly. "we've been summoned to the council. If you're up for it, we should leave now. And I'm sure there's someone who wouldn't mind helping you there," she added softly. Her insinuation made Marinette flush slightly.

 

Nino walked in soon after carrying a change of clothes. "You'll be less recognizable in these. You should take off the mask too."

 

It didn't take long for Adrien to change, while he did Alya helped Marinette into some fresh clothes, too. She couldn't walk into the council in bloody clothes. There would have been a panic.

 

After everyone was ready, Marinette leaning quite a bit in Adrien for support, Alya opened a portal. "I can get us close to the council building, but not inside. There are magic blocking runes outside that nullify magic in case there's ever an attack by witches."

 

"Does that happen?" Adrien asked in curiosity.

 

"It happened twice in the past, I think," Nino replied. "They didn't learn the first time."

 

"We need to be extremely careful. Hunters have been stalking around the city all night."

 

After that, Alya stepped through the portal first, followed by Nino. Adrien hesitated a moment, looking at Marinette. She returned the look with a smile. Despite her not quite trusting him yet, her kind and supportive nature  couldn't keep her from ignoring him, or treating him like a criminal.

 

"It's safe, don't worry. Alya wouldn't pull a trick like that if I'm involved," she assured.

 

"So you're telling me she plays tricks?"

 

"Occasionally. She likes the fun of pranks once in a while."

 

Adrien supposed that would have to be enough convincing for now. They didn't have time for Marinette to soothe his every worry. With a deep breath, he stepped through the portal with Marinette at his side.

 

\----------

 

They appeared in a dark alley mere seconds after stepping into the portal. Adrien was a bit wobbly when his feet hit the ground, having never gone through a portal before. Marinette, on the other hand, looked steady despite her injurie.

 

Nino and Alya were at the mouth of the alley, peering out. It appeared as though the coast was clear. But just to be safe, Alya cast a cloaking spell on the four of them. It didn't turn them invisible, but it made anyone who looked at them ignore their presence. Marinette hoped that she could hold it long enough to make it to the council building which was just down the block. The spell was difficult, and took a lot of energy to maintain.

 

They started walked, keeping the pace quick, but not too fast to where Alya broke concentration on the spell or to make Marinette uncomfortable. Adrien noticed she was already pushing herself. This was a lot to do for someone who had recently been shot.

 

"We're almost there, Alya, you can do it," Nino whispered to her. Alya nodded, fists clenching in concentration.

 

They reached the building just in the nick of time. The second they stepped inside, Alya collapsed. The spell had taken its toll. "I... I have... Never held that... For so long," she gasped.

 

Marinette sighed in relief at being in a safe place. She looked at her friend and laughed. "Well it's not a spell you use often," she pointed out. Alya raised a hand and really waved her off.

 

A figure stepped before them and bowed. "we have been expecting you. Come, you will rest before meeting with the council."

 

Adrien looked at Marinette, and then Nino and Alya too. None of them seemed afraid. Which he supposed was normal. But he's was anxious. He was a witch hunter. Who knew if anyone here held any ill will towards hunters, despite the council basically employing them.

 

With a gulp, he fell in step with Marinette, following the tall figure deep into the council building.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The council shares some interesting information. And a plan gets made to save the witches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no chapter yesterday! I did post a new story though, in case you'd like to check it out!!

Marinette was taken to a separate room to be looked at by witches with healing power. Adrien wanted to go with, but she wouldn't let him. Him, Nino, and Alya were taken to a waiting area to sit in until Marinette returned and the council was ready for them.

 

Adrien kept pacing. He was nervous about meeting the council, sure. But he was more worried for Marinette. She had already been attacked twice, what if it happened a third time? And while he wasn't there? He supposed, being with her own kind they wouldn't let her get hurt, but it could still happen!

 

"Adrien, you need to relax," Nino said, from his seat next to Alya in the love seat. His arm was draped across the back of the couch, and Alya was sitting quite close to him. Adrien, of course, didn't even notice.

 

"She's been gone a long time. Do you think she's OK? What if something happens?"

 

"Boy, seriously you need to stop and take a breath," Alya said with a laugh. She looked to the left and nodded her head. "See? Here she comes. Fit as a fiddle."

 

Adrien spun around, instantly relaxing at the sight of the raven haired witch approaching with a hop in her step. It looked like she didn't have any bandages in anymore,making Adrien's eyebrows furrow. Then he realized there must be some pretty talented witches with healing power here.

 

"You look a lot better," he said as she approached. He offered a smile, which she returned hesitantly.

 

"The healers here are very skilled. They can speed up the healing process to where a wound won't reopen," she explained, looking down at her hands and sighing softly

 

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted before. And thank you for helping me. I haven't been that kind to you, yet you still helped me."

 

Adrien smiled, hands on his hips. "You're right, you haven't been very kind. Woe is me, I don't know if I have the heart to keep helping you," he joked, a hand on his heart.

 

Her head snapped up at that, eyes wide. But she grinned when she saw his face and shook her head, laughing slightly. "If I'm nice to you, will you continue?"

 

"hmm I suppose. I'll have to think about it," he said, smile softening. "I am glad you're OK."

 

Her face heated up a little at bow tender his words were. Luckily, she was saved from having to respond when the court moderator appeared to lead them into the council chamber.

 

The room was large with a dome ceiling made of clear glass. The light from the moon illuminated a huge judge stand where three witches and two warlocks sat in silence, watching as the four approached.

 

Alya, Nino, and Marinette were all calm and collected, but Adrien was letting his nerves take over. He could feel the power of these witches. One hunter wouldn't be enough to take one of them down, not in a million years.

 

As they took their seats at a table facing the council, the witch in the middle rose. Throwing her hood back, she looked just like Marinette, only older and with shorter hair.

 

Adrien had to do a double take. The woman had the same kind face as Marinette, the same hair color, the same smile. The woman's eyes looked over the group, landing on Marinette, she sighed in what seemed like a relief.

 

"Daughter," she addressed. "I'm glad your injuries were not too dire. Its good to see you after so long. You should visit the council more often."

 

Marinette smiled. "Thank you, mother. I'll be sure to find time after this is all resolved."

 

Adrien was a bit shocked to find that Marinette's mother was on the council of witches. No shame to the girl, but Marinette was not a strong witch. But her mother gave off a very distinct magical energy. It was unlike any he had felt before.

 

The woman's eyes turned to Marinette's friends, Alya and Nino. She gave each of them a nod, and they bowed their heads in return. Then her eyes turned to Adrien.

 

She was silent for a moment, studying his face. He saw her eyes tear up ever do slightly as she spoke up. "You look so much like your mother."

 

"My mother?" Adrien echoed, a bit taken back by the comment. "Pardon me if u sound rude, ma'am. But how could you possible have known my mother?"

 

The woman sighed, sitting back down. "It's only natural that you wouldn't know. She kept her secret well hidden, because of the man she married. She knew it was a risk, but she loved him. Adrien, your mother was a witch. She sat at this council table before she..."

 

She drew a shaky breath. "Well, you're aware that she has passed into the next life already. Her last wish was that you wouldn't grow up hating your father for what he had done."

 

Adrien was connecting the pieces very quickly. His fists balled on the table. "He said she was killed by a witch... You're telling me that was a lie?"

 

Marinette's mother nodded solemnly. "it was. Relax, dear. I can tell you all you'd like to know. I'm sure but will clear a lot of things up for you."

 

With deep breath, and the feeling of Marinette's tentative touch on his hand. He nodded. "Please, I'd like to know what is going on."

 

With a nod, she began.

 

"You're mother was a witch. A very powerful one, too. She led this council since she turned 18, up until the day she died. When she was still young, she met a handsome young man, and fell for him instantly. She used to say the stars had planned their meeting from the day they were both born, and that he was her destined pair. A rare find, for any witch or warlock, especially if the destined pair is with a human. Anyway, she found out very soon that he was a witch hunter, one from a long line dating back centuries. When he revealed this to her. She almost left. But the bond between them was so strong, she couldn't bear to leave him. She thought she saw a different in him, a regret it somethimg of the sort for killing witches. She thought she might be able to change him, show him that witches are not all bad. She believed her love for him could make him see that her kind was not evil."

 

"But it was a short lived dream. After they wed, and she gave birth to you, he changed. He grew more obsessed with finding and killing witches to keep you and your mother safe. There was no database on witches outside of our council. Whatever information he gathered were from other hunters who were as fleeting as the wind. They gave him information on a powerful witch, with bright green eyes and blond hair that lived in Paris. They had heard word of her just giving birth to a son, but that she hid her magic energy so well that she was easily mistaken for human."

 

"Your father didn't think it was your mother at first. He didn't connect the dots until he saw her meet with me a few years after your birth. I... I blame myself for her getting revealed. If she hadn't met with me, she wouldn't have been discovered. At the time, I didn't have much control over my own cloaking abilities. So my magic was easily felt by those who knew how to feel for it. She said he taught her how to feel for it, like a hunter would. And the fact that she was willingly interacting with a witch made him suspicious."

 

"That evening, he caught her showing you some magic. You were still so young, your own magic hadn't developed very far yet. She didn't see any harm in doing a few, fun little things to make you smile, even though the danger was great. After putting you to bed that night, he confronted her about it. He didn't even give her a chance to explain herself. He didn't believe that she actually loved him. He thought she was a spy sent to undermine him, and, at that time, his newly formed witch hunting company disguised as an investment firm. I'm sure he didn't even realize that she refused to fight back. She still loved him, even after he accused her of not. Undoubtedly, he never realized what he had done. He let himself be blinded bybhis hatred for witches. And believing you weren't one, he trained you to hate us too. I. Sure you've noticed it, though. You can sense little hints of magic in things. And you can see the subtlest of magic, too, like Marinette's flowers. You take after your mother in more than just looks. Her witch blood runs strongly through your veins. In time, it will eclipse your human nature."

 

Adrien sat, shaking, as he stared down at the table. His whole life, his whole existence, his father. All of it had been a lie. He hunted people who had magic because of a lie. Sire, Nino said that the council only gave sensitive information on witches who were sentenced to death, but still. What if he had killed Marinette that night? She was in his reach, and his hatred back then was blinding. He ran a hand through his hair. He could of killed her.... So easily.... And without remorse...

 

He stood abruptly, knocking his chair back. Without looking at the council, he turned. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."

 

He stormed out, and went back to the waiting area. It took a moment, his anger getting the better of him, then he punched the wall. He made quite the hole in the drywall.

 

"Adrien?" a soft voice called from behind him. He whipped around to see Marinette standing there. She looked a little frightened, but she wasn't running. He did his best to calm himself before speaking.

 

"Did you know?" he asked, voice low.

 

She shook her head. "Not everything. I knew the head council woman, your mother, was killed but that her son still lived. I didn't know for sure that it was you until now. But... When you talked about how you saw my flowers glow, there was no doubt. That kind of subtle magic.... Only those with witch blood can see it. No matter how much a hunter trains to sense magic, or see it, this is the one thing they'll never see," she said, stepping over to a vase filled with orange wallflowers. She touched the petal of one flower, and one by one, they all released a soft, orange-yrllow glow that made Adrien think of a warm sunset. He stepped over to the flowers, next to Marinette.

 

"Wlallflowers strengthen faithfulness in adversity. It's not a bad thing, facing obstacles. It helps you learn. I know it hurts, learning all of this, and I'm sure it's a lot to process, but you'll get through it. And you'll be stronger for it," she said, taking his hand, and guiding him to touch the flowers as well. With her magic pushing his, the flower's glow turned brighter, making him gasp softly.

 

He looked over at her, her smiling face putting the flower's glow to shame. It was in this moment that he realized he had fallen for this witch. And there was definitely no turning back now.

 

\----------

 

Marinette and Adrien returned to the council room, after sitting and talking for a little bit. Adrien felt better getting his feelings off his chest, and Marinette was a great listener.

 

They sat back down, Marinette's mother dressing them again. "Dear, where is Tikki? I haven't seen your little friend this entire time."

 

Marinette gasped. "Oh no! I can't believe I forgot! Alya, can I borrow your knife?"

 

With a slight shake of her head, an amused grin on her face, she pulled a knife from inside her boot, handing it to Marinette. Adrien looked on I'm interest and confusion. When Marinette sliced the knife across her palm with almost no reaction, he almost had a heart attack.

 

"Marinette!" he yelled, standing and taking her hand. Why would she do that!? Her laugh made him look up to her face as she pulled her hand away.

 

"Relax, I'm fine. This is how we summon our familiars," she said. She stepped away from the table and turned her palm to the ground. Speaking a few words in a language Adrien did not recognize, Her blood dripped to the floor. Just before it hit the floor, it burst into a bright light, that faded to reveal the little red and black creature he had seen before.

 

"Marinette!" Tikki cried, flying up and giving what the tiny thing called a hug. "I was so worried! You got shot and I was sucked away before I could do anything to help! It took so long for you to summon me back I was afraid you were dead..."

 

Marinette smiled, patting Tikki's head. "I know, I'm sorry Tikki. A lot happened, I didn't have time to summon you back until now."

 

"I forgive you," Tikki said, flying up and taking a seat on her shoulder. Marinette sat back down and Adrien immediately grabbed her hand to inspect it. He was confused to find it had already healed.

 

"It's an enchanted knife. Alya has a number of beings she has contracts with, so she needs a way to summon them one after the other, if necessary, without destroying her hand," Marinette explained as she handed the knife back. Adrien nodded, still a bit shocked. It was amazing how much he still didn't know.

 

Marinette's mother smiled, bowing her head graciously to Tikki before going to speak again. "Now that you're all here, its time we discuss our next steps. Since Nino is no longer able to return to the hunter head quarters, we need to figure something out."

 

"How come you can't return?" Adrien asked, a little surprised.

 

Nino sighed. "I was sort of found out hiding files. They didn't suspect anything about me being a warlock. But they were files on a bunch of high ranking witches. There was hardly any information on any of them, but because I didn't have the files in circulation, no information could be added to them. They just saw it as a mistake, but a big enough one that they fired me for it."

 

"We dont have another witch or warlock with as subtle of magic as Nino," the council woman said. "So it's too dangerous to send in another witch."

 

The room was silent for a moment, like an invitation to anyone to offer up an idea. It hit Adrien like a brick, what he knew had to be done to keep Marinette and the rest of her kin safe.

 

"We need to take down the witch hunters," he said. "More importantly, we need to take down my father."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -shuffles in- hey guys!! I am soooo so sorry for going AWOL the past week. I got super sick Monday night/tuesday morning and wasnt up for writing, and then wednesday/thursday was con crunch before I left early Friday morning for acen. BUT y'all are gonna be jealous, and I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging I just want to share, but my cousin's friend went to an autograph session for Bryce Papenbrook, the voice of adrien/chat, and she got a one of a kind print he commissioned in Australia signed for me. I still don't believe it!!! I was so happy I legit cried and gave her like ten hugs.
> 
> Second!! I made an amino account bc I want to start rping miraculous c: in case anyone wants to rp with me

The first step was to turn as many witch hunters to the witches side as possible. There were so many, that if they just barged into the hunter's headquarters, they would be walking into their death.

 

"There's a bunch of hunters that I think will be easy to turn," Nino said, spreading a number of files out on the planning table. As the four leaders to the mission, Adrien, Nino, Marinette, and Alya, they were given a large room with a table and full access to any records or material they may need.

 

Marinette picked up one of the files. "This isn't a very large number," she said, flipping through the pages. "We're going to need more than this if we're going to have a chance."

 

"Another issue is almost half of these hunters are out on missions right now," Adrien chimed in, flipping quickly through the files. "We don't have much to start on."

 

Nino nodded, pulling another stack of files. "There are more that we can go to, also. But the problem with these ones is that it's fifty-fifty on whether or not they join us. And I'd they don't, then they're going to let Gabriel know. And this whole endeavor is going to get harder after that. The best thing we can do is flip the easy ones first, and hope that will help persuade some of the others."

 

"But won't Gabriel still hear about it if we get these few on our side?" Alya asked from her seat next to Nino.

 

"I doubt it. The reason these ones are easy is because they've made it clear they don't like hurting witches, but they do it because of the money. If they hadn't joined when Gabriel scouted them, they'd most likely be on the streets. Now he's got them under contract. They couldn't leave if they wanted to. Not without a legitimate way out. This could be that way out."

 

Marinette was silent. Talking about it made the whole task seem easier than it was probably going to be. She was nervous, to say the least. Especially since she wasn't confident she would be much help. She want a powerful witch, like Alya or her mother. What help could she be if her friends were worried about protecting her?

 

Alya saw the look Marinette was getting on her face, and one she needed to step back before she got overwhelmed. "Can you see if your mom brought any pastries today? I haven't been to the bakery in forever."

 

Marinette looked to her friend, and smiled. "She usually brings a bunch. I'll see if there are any in the kitchens."

 

She left quickly, glad to escape, even if it was just for a few minutes. Tikki sat quietly on her shoulder until they made it to the empty kitchens. There were a few boxes of croissants, macarons, cookies, stiff like that. Tikki flew over and grabbed a cookie for herself while Marinette took an empty box and started filling it with items.

 

"It'll be OK Marinette," Tikki said between bites.

 

"Huh?" Marinette looked up, having gone into a daze as she grabbed pastries. "Oh. I suppose. But... Tikki, Adrien and Nino are both technically hunters. Not so much Nino, I guess. Adrien... I'm still unsure about him."

 

"it's OK to be unsure," another voice sounded from behind her. Marinette whipped around, nearly having a heart attack.

 

"Mom! I though you went home!"

 

Sabine smiled and chuckled, walking over to her daughter. "I wanted to stay here in case you kids needed some help. This is going to be a challenge. The biggest you've probably faced."

 

Marinette sighed. "You can say that again. We're aiming to take down an entire corporation. Even if we manage to get a few to our side, I don't see how the whole thing could be possible."

 

"Every witch and warlock foes through some kind of difficult challenge. And that challenge comes in many different forms. And it can open pathways in yourself that helps tour magic evolve. You have yet to hit your challenge, Marinette. I think this might be it," Sabine said, wrapping an arm around her daughter.

 

"I don't really want to be stronger," Marinette replied. "I have a familiar, and what I can do brings so much joy. Sure, it does feel like I'm a burden to Alya sometimes because I'm weak, but... It's who I am. Power can change people. And if this is my challenge, I don't want it to change me."

 

Sabine chuckled softly. "You have such a good heart Marinette. And such a strong will. If you do change in any way, it won't be who you are."

 

"But what if it does? What if the plan doesn't work? What if it goes wrong?"

 

"Marinette," Sabine said, turning to face her daughter. "Have faith in yourself. Have faith in your friends. Including Adrien. I can see in him that he is trustworthy. He won't betray you or leave your side anytime soon. You can feel it, can't you?"

 

Marinette looked at her mother for a moment, then nodded.

 

"He may have done bad things in the past, but he is trying to do right by our kind. By you. Give him a chance."

 

"You said he's a warlock," Marinette started. "Does he have a lot of magic?"

 

Sabine nodded. "Oh yes. If he had been raised as a warlock, and not a human, I dare say his magic would be on par with his mother. Even now, he would probably be able to summon his own familiar, despite how underdeveloped hisagic is. I don't think he is quite convince he had any magic, though. Perhaps if he actually did summon a familiar, it would convince him."

 

\----------

 

As Marinette made her way back down the hall way to the planing room, she ran into Adrien. He almost looked relieved to see her.

 

"Alya gave me directions to the kitchen. You were taking a long time," he said as she approached.

 

She gave an apologetic smile. "I was talking with my mom. I guess it took longer than I thought."

 

Adrien nodded, taking the box of pastries from her hands before she could protest. "Alya and Nino are figuring out who we can start with. They're waiting for these before they head off to bed for the night. They said we're all staying here."

 

"It's the safest place, for all of us. There are a lot of hunters looking for all of us. The only other place they would know we were at is Alya's house, but that doesn't have nearly as much protection as the council hall."

 

Adrien nodded again in understanding before falling silent. Marinette looked at him. It seemed like he wanted to say something. "Are you ok?" she asked softly.

 

"It's just... A lot is happening, and really fast too. I mean," he sighed, stopping for a second and sitting on one of the chairs that lined the hall way. "I'm going against my father. The man who raised me. I know we need to take him down but..."

 

Marinette kneeled in front of him. He had been there for her when she was hurt, sure it was in a different way, but still. "I understand. It's going to be hard, that's true. But to change everything, to make the world safe for witches and warlocks, it has to be done. You're one of us, too, now. We keep each other safe."

 

He looked at her. "And you trust me to keep you safe? After everything I've put you through?"

 

She tilted her head slightly. "I didn't, when I first found out you were a hunter. But you've done so much to help me since well before that, even. Trust is earned, and I'd say you've earned it. It's just a matter of me processing that," she replied. Truthfully, she knew deep down she trusted him. But she was also wary of his past. It would take a little longer to get past that.

 

Adrien smiled. "As long as there is a chance, I'll wait as for as long as you need to trust me completely."

 

Marinette returned his smile and stood. "Let's get back to the planning room before Alya comes hunting for us to get these pastries."

 

"Right behind you, my lady," he replied, hopping up and following her down the hall.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally reached 600 followers on tumblr, and then it dropped like 10 over the course of this past week. Like fine then bye lol.
> 
> Any who, time sure flies!! I'm slowly starting to figure out where I want things to go, for this story at least, and again it will probably be semi soul crushing but hey, that's how it's unfolding! A little shorter than normal, my apologies.

The plan was working perfectly so far.

 

Like Nino suggested, they started with those that were easy to turn. And just like he said, they jumped at a chance to abandon their contracts and stop killing witches. Everyone from the list that were in town joined them.

 

Now, they had to take it a step further, and that's where they hit the wall.

 

Even with the number of witch hunters on their side already, the others weren't as easily convinced. Their first encounter with a not so compassionate with hunter almost left Marinette and Alya injured. Luckily Adrien was there, and that Alya was strong. Though it made Marinette feel even more like a burden.

 

When they returned that night, Marinette disappeared to the library. As she walked away silently, she heard Alya stop Adrien from following her. She was right to do so, she needed to be alone for a little to do what she needed to do.

 

The library was like a safe haven for her. It was quiet, and she got to work in whatever she needed to work on without anyone bothering her. Scanning the shelves, she pulled out books here and there. It was probably hopeless, but she needed to try and learn some spells to at least protect herself. But even the most basic ones she had trouble with.

 

She didn't know how long she was in the library for. The room didn't have windows or a clock. She just stood at a podium, a stack of books off to the side, chanting spells over and over. A few times, she thought she saw the spark of the spells working at her do her tips. But the more she tried, the more she thought it was just a trick of the light.

 

She sat down in a chair, head in her hands. "What am I supposed to do Tikki? I can't help them, I can't protect myself, I can't fight if they needed me to. I'm completely useless."

 

Tikki floated up, patting Marinette's head with her little hand. "Everyone's strength lies in different things, Marinette. You can't let these spells get you down if they aren't working. You just have to find the right ones that work with your magic."

 

Marinette sighed, still in slight despair. But Tikki's words reverberated in her head. She looked up, eyes bright with an idea. Of course!

 

"Tikki, help me find any books about controlling plants and nature!"

 

\----------

 

It was an old book, older than most of the ones they had in the library. It was a medium sized tome, about the size of the others. But it was different. Marinette felt the pull from it. This was the spell book she needed to learn from.

 

She walked it over to the podium, setting it down and carefully opening it. The spine creaked from lack of use, and the old book smell hit her like a brick. When was the last time this was read?

 

She flipped through the pages. Despite its age, the print was still readable, and the diagrams and pictures were too. The basics of the book were what she knew already, harnessing nature's natural energy and bringing it out. The rest of the book was harnessing nature to assist in a multitude of situations. From breathing life back into withered plants, helping buds bloom, even using magic to create creatures out of vines to aid in combat, or grow a wall of flowers for protection. It was incredible! But... Why had she never seen this before?

 

Spells like this, she was sure weren't against any of their laws. It wasn't changing nature in any way, making it somethimg it's not supposed to be. It was calling on it for assistance. But... She should still ask about it.

 

"Tikki, do you think I'd get in trouble if I try to learn any of these spells?" she asked her familiar, who was floating just by her head, reading the book along with her.

 

Tikki hummed softly. "To me, it doesn't look like it would harm the earth at all, which I think is the councils issue with magic like this. It has the potential to be harmful if there wrong with uses it. Witches don't want to harm the earth since a lot of their power comes from it. But I can feel it, Marinette, this is what you should have been learning!"

 

Marinette smiled. "Well, why don't we try some of the spells?"

 

\----------

 

The soft click of her shoes seed to echo loudly in the halls as she snuck to the greenhouse. It really felt like she was doing something she shouldn't be, which was probably the case. With a book this old, that hadn't been opened in so long, and that no one seemed to catch that this was probably her forte, she figured she was about to do something she would get I'm serious trouble for.

 

But if it would help them make the world safe for her kind, she would do whatever it takes.

 

Luckily, the greenhouse was empty. Having passed by windows on her way there, she found that it was well into the night now. Sometimes, those who worked at the building would be collecting things that bloomed in the night. A human might not think there were many things like that, but there were.

 

She entered the greenhouse, and was hit with the energy of the plants and such right away. She hadn't been around this many flowers and herbs and the like for a while. She didn't realize how much she had missed the pure magic the earth gave off through all these living things.

 

Marinette walked around the greenhouse, to find the perfect spot to sit and try out some of the spells. It had been too long since she visited the council green house. It had grown considerably since the last time. There was even a newly added flower bed, freshly tilled and seeded. It was the perfect spot.

 

She kicked her shoes off, stepping into the dirt. She felt the gentle, soft, pulsing life of the seeds that had been planted. She kneeled down, opening the book.

 

"What do you think we should start with?" she asked Tikki. Her familiar flew down to the book, looking at the pages as Marinette flipped through slowly.

 

"Somethimg simple, do start. Like making the flowers bloom! Then you'll have plants to work with to try out the other spells," her friend said.

 

Marinette nodded with a smile, setting the book down, opened to the page she needed.

 

With a deep breath, she held her hands palms down and hovering a few centimeters off the ground. She read the spell over a few times, nothing happened. With a shaky breath, she closed her eyes. She tried to feel the magic, in the ground, and inside her. She spoke again, and again, until suddenly she felt something in he spark and bloom. It made her gasp, but she didn't falter. She repeated the spell again with more energy.

 

She felt something brush her finger tips, and she opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped open.

 

All around her, flowers had looked, large petals in a variety of colors, emitting a healthy glow of magic. Because of her. Even Tikki was speechless at age floated around the newly bloomed flowers.

 

"Marinette... You did it!" she yelled, flying back over to her friend and nuzzling her cheek. Marinette smiled, fighting back tears.

 

She had magic. Real magic! Magic that could help them, once she got a half of it.

 

"We're just getting started, Tikki, let's try something else!" she flipped through the pages, picking spells to try. She practices through the night, until the sun began to rise the next morning.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhaaaaaaaa I'm so sorry again for not posting for a while. There's not even an excuse, I just really wasn't up for writing. As you've probably noticed, I took down one of my newer stories. I do still want to write that prompt, but I really didn't know where I was going with it and I didn't have a plan, and there was a lot I want to change in it so I just took it down until I can work out some of the details for it. Sometimes it's hard for me to process ideas without rping something similar. And I haven't done any rps in a while so I've been a little blocked.
> 
> But!! Happy pride month to my fellow lgbtq+ people! I hope your month is full of rainbows and fun :) I'm going to a pride festival this weekend with my friends, I'm super excited!

"Marinette, this magic is dangerous. Controlling nature, changing it, that's not our way."

 

Marinette stood in front of the council members alone, her friends not allowed to join her.it was still very early, she wasn't even sure if they were awake yet. She had been caught, asleep, surrounded by overgrown flowers, vines, and trees in the green house. Needless to say, the council wasn't happy. They had already been arguing for the better part of the morning.

 

"But if it's something that shouldn't be used, why is it the only magic I can use?" the young witch replied. "Please, if it can help us, I ask you give me leniency. Besides, I wouldn't use it for my own gain, I have no interest in bending the earth to fit my fancy!" 

 

Sabine smiled slightly, she was happy to see her daughter so passionate about magic for once. When they first found out, or thought, she didn't have a capacity for most basic magic, Marinette was upset for a long time. Even after she discovered what she could do, Sabine knew she still didn't feel like enough. The change now warmed her heart.

 

"Despite what you say," one of the other council members spoke up. "This type of magic has been restricted for a reason. And it shouldn't be unrestricted just because it's the only magic you can use."

 

Marinette clenched her fists. "I'm not saying it should be unrestricted just so I can use magic. I'm saying you should unrestricted it so I can help keep our people safe. There's now way the witch hunters have a way to deflect pure nature magic, it could help us take down the company!"

 

The council members were silent. They looked at each other, trying to determine if a vote to repeal the restrictions would be met with similar votes, or dissenting votes. Finally, Sabine stood.

 

"It's been ages since any witch has seen pure nature magic used at all. All we have to go on is stories of witches using it to change the earth in their own image. Why don't we go to the green house, and see for ourselves this magic at work?"

 

\----------

 

An explosion woke Adrien and Nino up. Having been pulled from deep sleep, it took a moment to process what they heard. But as screams and more explosions sounded from the halls, they sprung up and raced into the hall as soon as Alya did as well.

 

Wait... Where was Marinette?

 

Another explosion. Alya didn't say a word as she raced down the hall. Adrien and Nino were close behind.

 

As they reached the wing where the greenhouse was located, they all froze. 

 

Witches and hunters lay dead or unconscious amonst rubble. Smoke filled the halls, furniture and vases of flowers were destroyed, and fighting could still be heard towards the green house.

 

Adrien pulled out his baton, and he could feel Alya gathering up magic in preparation for a fight. Nino, not having a weapon or powerful magic to fight, stayed behind to help those who were still alive get to the hospital wing.

 

They reached the green house quickly, as that's where all the fighting had moved. As they burst in, they saw a few council members to the side, injured, but still throwing hits at the remaining witch hunters, who weren't even attacking back, just stalling for time.

 

Sabine and two other council members were still pushing. Sabine, to Adrien, looked like she was in a rage. She was casting at incredible speed, and the hunters were having trouble blocking everything.

 

Before Adrien and Alya would join the fight, a whistle soinded from above. Looking up, Adrien saw a number of holes in the glass ceiling where ropes cascaded down. The remaining hunters grabbed the ropes and we're swiftly pulled up and out of the building. Sabine castes a few more spells at them, but none landed, and the last hunters were gone.

 

A moment of silence hung in the air, them Sabine fell to her knees, sobbing. Alya ran over, sliding to the floor as she got closer. "What happened?"

 

Through gasping breaths, Sabine replied. "Th-they took her. They took m-my daughter. Oh my Marinette..."

 

Adrien's heart dropped. He had stepped closer to make sure Sabine was OK, so he heard her broken words. "What?" he voiced softly, baton barely staying gripped in his hand from the shock.

 

Sabine looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "Those hunters came for her. She was their mission. They took out a number of us, and I'm sure that was another part of their task, but she was their goal. For whatever reason, they wanted her. And they got her."

 

Adrien threw his baton on the floor and ran a hand through his hair, swearing as he began to pace. The one thing he was worried about happened. Marinette was in the hands of his father. She'd live for a little while, until his father got what he wanted. He'd kill her after that, for sure.

 

Alya looked over at him, brow furrowed. She didn't need to ask why he was so freaked out. "Adrien, we have to go save her."

 

"I know. But we can't just go bursting into the head quarters. We'll be slaughtered! My father is going to have every witch hunter in town holed up there waiting for us to go rescue her. We'd be dead before we made it  quarter of the way through the building."

 

Alya stood and walked over to him. He turned to her in time for her palm to connect with his cheek. "Alya, what the hell!?"

 

"Don't say this is impossible. Don't you give up on her like that," she chided, voice wavering slightly. Despite the strong face she always wore, it was obvious she was terrified for the possible fate of her best friend.

 

Adrien grimaced. "I would never give up on her. I'm just saying we can't just rush in. Other wise she won't have a chance," his voice dropped to only Alya could hear his last sentence. Though Sabine was currently being tended to by the other uninjured council witches, and wasn't paying attention to their conversation.

 

Adrien sighed. "Let's go find Nino, and gather the witch hunters. We're going to need their help to get into head quarters."

 

\----------

 

Marinette groaned, eyes opening to find herself in a dark room. She tried to move, and found her wrists and ankles bound with chains. At any sudden movement, she felt sharp spikes dig into her skin. And aside from the pain from it, she felt the magic suppressing bite of silver as the spikes dig into her skin.

 

Biting her lip, she carefully say up, letting her eyes adjust to the dark a little. It was quiet, so quiet that it was unsettling. Well, adding to the fact that she was chained up in what seemed like a dungeon.

 

"Looks like you're awake," a deep, creepy voice sounded. Lights popped on, causing Marinette to shut her eyes against the sudden brightness. Once her eyes adjusted a but, she saw a figure standing on the far side of the room.

 

He was tall, with grey eyes and wearing a deep purple suit. A silver head mask covered his entire head, save for around his mouth and eyes, and he carried a case with a gem like head that looked like it was just for show, rather than to help him walk. Just the sight of him made her blood run cold. His whole demeanor radiated danger. She pressed herself against the wall.

 

"w-what.. Uh, what do you want with me?" she asked, trying to keep the waver put of her voice. She was sure he could see her shaking, though.

 

"what I want?" he asked, stepping closer to her. A smirk was plastered on his face. He seemed to like watching his prisoners squirm with fear. "I want my son back. I know you brainwashed him. And you're going to tell me how to break your spell."

 

Marinette sputtered. "Your son? Brainwashed? I did no such thing! I... I can barely do any magic, how could. I brain wash him!?"

 

She saw the flash of rage cross his fave, and then the head of the cane came down against her face, knocking her to the side. She coughed, tasting the copper tang of blood in her mouth. Her temple hurt from the strike, but she was distracted from that as the man delivered a swift kick to her stomach, making her heave.

 

"I'll get it out of you one way, or another."

 

She glanced up at him. "I told you, I don't know what you mean!"

 

The man turned his back to her and snapped. The door to the room opened, and another man rolled a large covered cart into the room, then left, leaving them alone again.

 

The man in purple pulled the cover off. She couldn't see what was on the cart, but she assumed the worse.

 

"I wonder how long a weak witch like you will last. I'll have to add this to my research notes once I'm through with you."

 

She sat up, spitting out some blood. Whatever he did, she had to endure. She had to trust her friends would come and save her.


End file.
